Mission accomplished
Harold Coward set out to create a unique interdisciplinary centre
for the study of religion. He succeeded.

by Patty Pitts

Ten years ago, Dr. Harold Coward arrived at UVic with a daunting vision — to create a centre where scholars can study all of the world’s religions and traditions, hold those beliefs up to the practices of contemporary society and use the results to guide policy-makers and spiritual leaders.

Vision became reality in just two years, and in a world where religions are frequently and tragically polarized, the centre’s resolute commitment to giving equal time to all faiths makes it unique in academia.

“That’s what makes it a special place,” says Coward, who is on the verge of retiring as the centre’s founding and only director. “The sense of community that the centre offers is so rare in academia. Our scholars don’t want to leave.”

Neither does Coward. While he’ll surrender administrative duties to Dr. Conrad Brunk on July 1, Coward will retain his ties to the centre by continuing as co-director of the massive Coasts Under Stress research project. The bi-coastal initiative, involving more than 50 researchers from several disciplines examining the environmental and human health of resource-based coastal communities, is indicative of the centre’s interdisciplinary approach to research.

“We do the same thing as other institutions representing science, social sciences and humanities but also add the knowledge of religions,” says Coward. “We don’t use a dogmatic approach. We let each tradition speak its truth fully and completely alongside the other religions and together with the best of science, technology and ethics research.”
The centre’s “inclusive vision” was in place from inception. A
$1 million gift from the Vandekerkhove Foundation, a provincial government matching grant and contributions from its founding faiths (Anglican, United and Roman Catholic) established the centre.
Unlike other centres at other universities, UVic’s centre continued to attract funding without budging from its mandate to treat all participating faiths equally. “Each of the participants bought into the broad vision,” says Coward of the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh traditions now represented among the centre’s contributors.

In the past decade the centre has produced several books — including works on after-life beliefs, cross- cultural examination of health care ethics and ethical analysis of fisheries practices — that serve as textbooks for other universities. The faculty and graduate student scholars who take up residence at the centre couldn’t escape the collegial atmosphere, even if they wanted to.

“Each day we ring an old ship’s bell and everyone gathers for coffee. It’s during this intellectual discussion that people learn from each other. The fellows would miss the essence of this communal context if they weren’t under one roof and the support staff do a wonderful job in helping to create that atmosphere,” adds Coward.

With retirement bringing a slight reduction to his workload, Coward plans to spend more time in his garden when he’s not fulfilling his duties as an ethics specialist on Genome B.C. and the vice-president of the Royal Society Academia Two (social sciences and humanities). He’ll also continue working on a book on salvation and world religions.

“The centre has gone beyond what I envisioned,” says Coward with satisfaction. “It’s a source of important research and it’s been a bridge between community and the university. Through our scholars and our community members, local knowledge and academic knowledge are brought together. The centre helps people digest both and become a little wiser.”

Valerie Shore photo